Thicker Than Water
by joliesse43
Summary: Trey is out of jail and back into Ryan's life. How will Ryan and the Cohens deal with it? T for language, violence, and drugs. Ch.4 Up!
1. Freedom

So this story had been in my head for a while and I figured I better start writing it now before the show catches up with me. I know this stuff has been done before, but not by me so…

I will still be working on my other story and I promise this will not be a Summer Ryan story, so you don't have to worry.

And Teresa probably won't exist in my story, which I'm sure will bring tears from many of you.

xxxxxx

Trey had his hand up to shield his eyes from the bright California sun as he walked out of jail. He didn't even stop to look back at the place that had been his home for the last year and a half. He felt like running. Doing anything he could to get a far away from that place as quickly as he could, but he didn't. The inmates were watching him, so he did his best to saunter casually away from the place. The time in jail had been hard and there had been times when Trey didn't think that he would survive. Especially when Gattas had sicked his boys on him.

Trey was ecstatic to be out of jail, but he had no where to go. He had 80 in his pocket and the clothes that he had been arrested in. Not much to start a new life with. He knew his mother was living with A.J. somewhere, but his mother had not invited him to stay with her. Not that Trey really wanted to anyway. He had had enough of A.J.'s shit. Fuckin' jail, they could at least give me a ride or something, Trey thought as he started to walk. He could have called a cab, but he wanted to hang on to what little money he had. As he was walking, Trey heard a lowrider bassin' out behind him. Shit, he thought, are they after me already?

"Hey buddy," Trey heard someone call from the car. He turned around ready to fight, but it was Arturo. Trey was relieved. At least he still out one friend. Trey jumped into the car and shared an elaborate handshake with Arturo. "You look good man, did you spend all your time pumping iron" Arturo asked. Trey flexed his arms and said, "Yea, in between getting my ass kicked by Gattas' boys. What the hell is his problem? I paid off the debt with that car." Arturo shook his head, "I don't know what his problem is man, but he is still pissed. He thinks you made him look bad. You messed with his cred. He's got everyone in Chino on the lookout for you. It didn't help that Ryan punched him when he dropped the car off." Trey looked up surprised. "Yea, probably because they were gonna jump him." Arturo continued. Shit, Trey thought, he didn't think they would mess with Ryan.

"Fuck man," Trey said while shaking his head, "I was hoping he would be over that shit by now." This was bad news. Trey was hoping he could slip back into life in Chino without having to deal with this crap. He had been planning on getting a job at a garage somewhere. He was good with cars and that was about the only legal skill he had. Trey knew that if he wanted to get right with Gattas he would probably have to steal another car for him. Trey had spent a long time in jail thinking about his life. That was one of the problems with jail, there was too much time to think. Trey had decided to go straight when he got out. No more stealing cars or breaking into houses, but the news about Gattas worried him.

"You can stay at my place tonight, but word is gonna travel pretty quickly that you are out." Arturo said with lighting up a joint. He took a long hit and passed it over to Trey, who grabbed the joint appreciatively. "This is some pretty good shit, so watch out, I'm sure you're a lightweight now," Arturo said teasingly as Trey took several puffs. "I missed this shit in jail," Trey said before he started to cough. "I guess so man, you can't even hold your smoke anymore." They finished off the rest of the joint in silence. Trey's whole plan he had been working on in jail was shot. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in jail, like his father, and this beef with Gattas could lead him there.

While his brother was getting out of one big house, Ryan sat at the kitchen table of his big house and tried to cram for a physics test. Ryan had no idea that Trey was getting out of jail. They didn't talk much. Ryan had last heard from Trey at Christmas, but the last time he had seen him was when he and Marissa picked up the stolen car from Arturo. Trey had told him to forget about him and go on with his life and, Ryan hated to admit it, but he had. Stealing cars and drug deals were not a part of Ryan's life anymore.

"Dude, you studied for like hours last night what else can you cram in your brain?" Seth asked as he walked into the kitchen. "Hopefully this stupid equation," Ryan mumbled though a mouth full of cereal. Seth whistled a cheerful tune as he poured himself a bowl of cereal. Ryan looked up from his book and gave Seth a look that caused him to stop whistling. Seth had been so happy now that he and Summer were back together and it was starting to annoy Ryan. He wanted to be happy for Seth, and he was, but at the same time Ryan was hurt by Lindsey moving to Chicago and being around the happy couple was hard. Ryan understood why Lindsey had to go, but it still hurt that yet another person had left him.

"So, got any big plans for the weekend?" Seth asked. "Not really." Ryan answered with out looking up from his book. "Oh come one, I'm sure you have some brooding planned." When Ryan didn't answer Seth continued, "What about doing something with Marissa?" Ryan stood up and began packing his books into his school bag. "Why would I do something with Marissa?"

"Oh, come on man admit it. There was all sorts of sexual tension between you guys at the mall." Ryan remembered what he had heard Marissa say to Summer at the mall. When he had heard her say that he was the only one Marissa had ever really loved, it got him thinking. Ryan had been with lots of girls in his life, but he had never felt about anyone the way he felt about Marissa. Despite all of her shit that he had to deal with. "Yea well, I don't think I have the … ah right … equipment for her anymore." Ryan stammered. "Oh come on, all chicks go through a little lesbian phase," Seth surmised. "Has Summer gone through her lesbian phase yet? Oh no wait, that will probably happen after you guys are done."

"Hey, I did not turn Alex into lesbian," Seth cried in his defense as his mother walked into the kitchen. Seth turned a bright shade of red and Ryan had to turn away to hide his laughter. Kirsten cleared her throat, "I don't think I even want to know what you guys are talking about. But Alex is a lesbian, when did that happen?" Kirsten asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Right after she broke up with Seth," Ryan said with laughter in his voice. "Hey that is not fair, she was gay before me," Seth retaliated. "And I seem to recall that you're ex-girlfriend is also no longer interested in the male species either." Kirsten spit out her coffee.

"Please don't tell me you are talking about Lindsey," Kirsten said while examining the coffee stain on the front of her shirt. "No," Seth said, "it's Marissa. Somehow both of our ex's hooked up with each other," Seth paused and closed his eyes, "and despite the hot mental images …." Seth was interrupted by a hard kick in the leg from Ryan. "Oww, what did you do that for?" Seth whined as he rubbed his leg. Ryan pointed as Kirsten, who was standing with her mouth open and a look of disbelief on her face. "Oh … right, sorry mom." Seth said looking slightly ashamed.

"So you guys are telling me that Marissa is a lesbian now?" Kirsten said still trying to process the information. "Yea, but I think it is just a phase. If dating Ryan and the yard boy didn't piss off Julie, I'm sure this did." Seth said. "Do you want another kick," Ryan asked lifting his leg and causing Seth to flinch. "No thanks, I think I'll let you get back to your studying. Summer should be here any minute." Ryan rolled his eyes. It wouldn't be easy to concentrate on physics now. An image of Marissa and Alex together was creeping into his mind. Ryan forced the though out and went back to trying the memorize the equation.

"Look man, I got to go to work, but make yourself at home." Arturo said as he pulled up in front of his house. "Just be careful that word doesn't get back to Gattas." Trey jumped out of the car. "I'm sure he will find out anyway. Fuck him. Is there anything going on tonight?" Trey asked. "Yea, there is something going on at Moxley's. Should be fun, especially since you've got a year and a half's worth of partying to make up for." Trey smiled, he had been dreaming about what he would do when he got out and now it wasn't a dream any more.

Trey sat in the house and watched tv, but he didn't want to be inside. He wanted to be outside in the sun, enjoying his freedom. Trey decided that he would take a few busses and go to the beach. Along the way he could pick up some new clothes. He had gained a lot of muscle, especially in his upper arms, and he wanted to wear something to show it off. He didn't want to waste any money, but he knew he could get a pack of wife beaters for cheap at WalMart. Trey spent most of his day just laying on the beach. He had only been allowed to be outside for 2 hours a day in jail and his arms were embarrassingly white. Almost as white as his tank top. Trey fell asleep on the beach and when he woke up it was 7:00. Time to meet Arturo. Trey sighed as he boarded the first of several busses it would take to get home.

Trey and Arturo pulled up at the party around 10:30. The party was already in full swing, complete with someone puking in the bushed in front of the house. "That better not be you man," Arturo joked as he patted Trey on the back. "Hey, have you seen Chrissy around lately?" Chrissy was the last girl Trey had hooked up with before he got arrested and he had been hoping to hook up with her again now that he was out of jail. "Yea bro, she asked about you last week. I know what you've been thinking about." Arturo laughed. "Well you try not having sex for over a year and you'll see how funny it is." Trey said as he grabbed a beer. "Hey man, you're not the only one who's done time." Arturo reminded him.

Arturo's girlfriend showed up at his side. "We've got some business to take care of," he said. "Are you ok on your own?" Trey took a long drink of beer. "Hell yea bro, I have been planning this for months." Trey got another beer and then surveyed the room. It was pretty much the same crowd that would have been here a few years ago. A few guys were missing, but Trey knew that they were in jail. "Oh my God, Trey!" He heard a girl squeal and turned around to see Chrissy running towards him. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I heard you were getting out soon, but I didn't believe it. I thought you had a few more years."

"Well they let me out cause I was being a good boy." Chrissy laughed, "When have you ever been a good boy?" Trey gave Chrissy a long kiss. "I can tell what you have been thinking about," she said when Trey released her. "Lets go find a room," Trey suggested. "Oh we will, but I wanna get fucked up first." Chrissy lead Trey to a back room where people were gathered around doing various drugs. "What do you want?" There were people shooting smack, smoking meth and weed, and doing lines of coke. "We could get some E," Chrissy whispered seductively into his ear. Trey had promised himself in jail that he would stay off the hard stuff, but now that it was all laid out in front of him, his resolve was waning. "Hey Trey, what the fuck are you doing out?" A large guy covered in tattoo's asked. "Good to see you too man," Trey replied nervously. He knew the guy was a friend of one of Gattas boys. It wouldn't take long before he would know Trey was out. Fuck. Trey reconsidered his promise. If he was gonna get jumped he might as well have fun tonight.

Several hours later Trey had accomplished his goal. He had lost count of the number of beers, lines of coke, and bong rips he had had. He and Chrissy were in the middle of a heavy make out section on a couch when he heard Moxley call, "Hey Atwood, quite fuckin dry humping! You guys can have my room, but only cause you just got out of jail." Trey and Chissy stumbled up the stairs towards his room.

By the time Trey and Chrissy were finished it was almost 3:00 and most of the partiers had either left or passed out. Arturo burst into the room and said, "Gattas is here man, get your fucking clothes on and lets go. Trey jumped out of bed and searched around the room trying to find his clothes. "I'll see you later babe," Trey told Chrissy as he ran out of the room. Shit, he thought to himself, I am way to fucked up to fight right now. "Let's go out the back." Arturo pulled Trey's arm and lead him toward the back door. "Go on man, get the fuck out of here!" Trey yelled at Arturo. "I am not leaving you alone bro," Arturo insisted. "Look man this isn't your beef. I have a better chance of getting away on foot. You go out the front door and stall them or something."

"All right man, if you're sure." Arturo said shaking his head. "Where are you going to go?" Good question, Trey thought. "I have no fucking idea. Anywhere but here I guess." Arturo and Trey exchanged a quick man hug. "Take care of yourself bro," Arturo said and Trey slipped out into the darkness. Trey just ran he didn't know where he was heading. He hated himself for running, but there was no way he could take on the whole gang. If he did, he would either end up in the hospital or in jail. Trey spent the rest of the night shivering in the doorway of a rundown building. I gotta find somewhere to go, he thought.

At the Cohen's house every one was sitting down for breakfast. It was unusual for them to all have breakfast together, but ever since the Rebecca episode, Sandy and Kirsten had been making an effort to spend time together as a family. "So do you guys have any other revelations this morning?" Sandy asked playfully. "I assume you are referring to the news that Alex and Marissa have hooked up?" Seth answered. "Boys, this isn't exactly breakfast conversation." Kirsten said sternly. "Oh come on Mom, if it wasn't for Newport gossip we wouldn't have anything to talk about." Seth said. "That's not true, there are plenty of things we could talk about." Kirsten replied indignantly. "Like what?" Ryan asked looking up from his plate.

"Well … like politics," Kirsten replied after a brief hesitation. "Oh God mom," Seth groaned. "Please no, it is too early for that." Kirsten paused. "Ok then, how are things with Summer?" Kirsten asked knowing full well that Seth could easily talk for hours about Summer. This time is was Ryan's turn to groan. "I think it's too early for that too." Seth punched Ryan in the arm playfully. "Well we could talk about you if you had a life," Seth said. "I know you think my life is boring right now, but I am happy with it." Sandy stood up from the table and kissed Kirsten on the cheek. I hope this counts as enough family time, because I am supposed to meet a client in 10 minutes." Just then the doorbell rang. Kirsten moved to answer it, but Sandy said, "I'll get it on my way out." Kirsten followed him to the door anyway. "Hi, I am looking for Ryan … Atwood, is this his place?" Kirsten nodded, "I'm Trey, his brother."

xxxxx

There is plenty more action to come. What do you guys think, is it worth continuing?


	2. Choices

"Yes, ah … please come in," Kirsten said after a moment of hesitation. "Sorry to barge in on you like this, but I was hoping to talk to Ryan." Trey looked around the house, trying to take it all in. When the cab driver had pulled up in front of the address that his mom had given him, he asked Trey is he was sure this was the right place. He eyed Trey suspiciously as he took the money. Trey knew he was thinking that he was probably going to rob the place. For a moment Trey let his eyes sweep around the house, taking stock of the electronics that he knew he could get a good price for. Trey forced himself to stop thinking about stealing and focused again on the people in front of him.

"Trey?" Ryan asked incredulously from the hallway. "Hey little bro, they let me out and I thought I would come check on you." Ryan didn't move and he didn't respond. Sandy sensed the tension and he put his hand on Kirsten's back and said, "why don't we give them some time to talk," as he gently guided her out of the room. "What are you doing here?" Ryan asked as he walked toward the living room. "What? Can't I come see my own brother?" Trey said with an innocent shrug of his shoulders.

"I thought you would be happy to see me," Trey said. Ryan studied his brother. "You're high man, why the fuck would you come here when you are high?" Trey dropped his eyes, "Come on Ryan, I'm not high. I don't do that shit anymore."

"Bullshit!" Ryan said louder than he would have like. "Anyway man, I can smell the alcohol from here," Ryan said. "Yea I forgot, you're like a goddamn saint now. What you never drink? You never go to any rich kid parties and have a beer?" Trey asked his voice starting to rise in anger. "This is more than that Trey and you know it." Trey was starting to wish he had stayed curled up on the doorstep. He had a killer hangover and the last thing he wanted to do was argue with Ryan. He was just looking for a place to sleep where he wouldn't have to worry about getting his ass kicked, but he knew Ryan. He would have to listen to whatever Ryan wanted to say. He just hoped that when all was said and done, he would have a place to stay for a few days.

"Look at me Trey, look me right in the eyes." Trey brought his eyes up to meet Ryan's. Ryan dropped his voice and said, "I know you're high and if your not right now you were last night. You're eyes are all red and shaky. Did you forget who your lying too? Did you forget that we grew up with a mom who was fucked up all the time?" Trey took a step back and put his hands up in the air. "Ok man, you got me. I just spent over a year in jail and I partied when I got out. Hey, I had sex last night too. Does that make me evil too?"

"No, what makes you evil is the fact that you have come here to fuck up my life and the Cohen's. They're my family now Trey and I won't let you hurt them," Ryan said his voice almost hoarse with emotion. Trey sighed. "Alright bro, I got it. I'm not here to mess up your life, but Gattas is still after me. I spent last night sleeping on the fucking street. Can I just crash here for a few hours? If I could get some sleep maybe I could think straight and come up with a plan." Ryan still looked unconvinced so Trey tried a new tactic. "Look Ryan, no matter what you say we are still brothers. Look at me man, I'm still Trey. All I'm asking for is a little help. I don't think there is any rich family that is waiting to adopt me." Ryan exhaled slowly and rubbed his temples. "I've got to get to school. Let me go talk to Sandy and Kirsten, maybe you can stay, but just for today."

"Honey, aren't you going to be late for your appointment?" Kirsten asked Sandy. He shook his head. "It's ok, the guy will wait. I want to see what is going on here." Kirsten leaned toward him and whispered, "Isn't he still supposed to be in jail?" Seth jumped out of his chair, "Maybe he escaped, maybe he jumped a guard and took his clothes. I saw that on a movie once." He volunteered. Kirsten shot Seth a look that quickly shut him up. "I don't think he escaped," Sandy said while scratching his head thoughtfully. "He had a three year sentence and with good time he would probably serve about a year and a half." Sandy wasn't sure exactly what Trey was doing here, but it made him uncomfortable.

Ryan cleared his throat as he walked back into the kitchen. "Um … do you think it's ok if Trey sleeps in the pool house today?" He asked hesitantly. "Of course it is honey, he is your brother after all." Kirsten said. "Are you sure you want him in the pool house? He could stay in the guest bedroom." Kirsten offered. Ryan shook his head, "No the pool house will be fine. Thanks." Ryan turned and walked out of the kitchen to show Trey to the pool house. He stopped at the doorway and said in a quiet voice, "Make sure you lock the house today."

"Come on, lets go," Ryan said to Trey as he walked out the front door. Trey got off the couch and followed him. "So I can stay?" He asked hopefully. Ryan didn't slow down until he reached the pool house. "You can stay for today." Ryan said as he picked up his clothes off the floor. "I don't get to meet the family?" Trey asked. "No." Ryan replied. "So you are embarrassed of me? Your own brother. You don't want them to meet me cause you don't want them to know where you come from; see what you could have been." Trey saw Ryan's muscles tense up and he could tell that he had struck a nerve.

"They know where I come from and where I was headed. I met Sandy in jail, remember?" Ryan glanced down at his watch. If he didn't leave soon he would be late for school. "Look man, I gotta go. I'll see you around 4:00." Ryan walked out of the pool house towards the Range Rover. He was glad that Seth was riding with Summer this morning. Seth would probably think it was great that his brother was back. Ryan, however, knew that his brother meant trouble.

The morning passed quickly for Ryan. A physics test and a pop quiz in history kept his mind occupied. Ryan didn't even see Seth until lunch. As closed his locker and headed down the hallway towards the table they usually sat at, Marissa appeared beside him. "Hey," she said as she fell into step beside him. Things had been kinda awkward Marissa after he had heard her confession at the mall. When are things not awkward with Marissa? Ryan thought. Actually, as he looked at Marissa he knew that she was the only one who knew what Trey was really like.

"So I hear Trey is out of jail," Marissa said, trying to keep her tone light. "Yea, he showed up wasted this morning asking for a place to stay." Ryan answered. "Looks like Seth and Summer are already at the table." Marissa observed. "I don't know if I can make it through another lunch with them." Ryan looked at Marissa with his eyebrows raised. "Don't get me wrong or anything, I am happy that Summer and Seth are back together. It's just kinda hard to be around the happy couple sometimes."

"Yea, I know what you mean. Seth has been so happy lately that sometimes I feel like strangling him." Ryan said as he looked over at Summer who was feeding Seth sushi. So things aren't going well with Alex?" Ryan asked. He didn't know much about Marissa and Alex. Even though they had lunch together everyday, she never really talked about her relationship with Alex. "Not really," Marissa said as she put a smile on her face and sat down at the table.

"Hey Ryan," Summer said cheerfully. "Seth said that your brother is out of jail. You must be excited. It's probably nice to have some family around …" Summer stopped talking as soon as she realized what she had said. She looked at Seth and said, "I mean … you already have like a brother and stuff … I just meant… "Summer stopped and Seth said, "Oh, you are so cute when you are babbling." As Seth and Summer kissed, Marissa turned to Ryan and make a gagging gesture. Ryan laughed. "What are you laughing at Chino?" Summer asked. Ryan shared a quick look with Marissa and said nothing.

"So anyway Ryan, what do you think about your brother being out of jail? I mean, it's a good thing, right?" Seth asked, unsure of the answer. Ryan bit his lower lip as he tried to decide what to tell Seth. Honestly, Ryan wasn't sure it was such a good thing. Deep down, he loved Trey. He was his brother and they had been through so much growing up, but Trey was trouble and Ryan knew that. "Yea … you know it's good that he isn't in jail anymore." Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It's just that you don't know Trey like I do. He's kinda like my mom," Ryan said dropping his voice to almost a whisper.

Marissa reached over and put her hand on Ryan's leg. Ryan put his hand on top of Marissa's and looked into her eyes. Marissa was the only one who knew what Trey had asked Ryan to do at Thanksgiving. She knew that Ryan could have been arrested and would have been seriously hurt if she hadn't followed him to the chop shop. "So do you think he is going to stay very long?" Seth asked. "I don't know." Ryan was torn. He knew he should help his brother, but Ryan was still terrified that something would happen and his new life would disappear.

"So which sandwich do you want? The club or the wrap?" Kirsten asked as she unpacked the bag containing their lunch. "So this is our special lunch, sandwiches?" Sandy asked. "Well, since we are eating on the beach behind your … office, I thought this would be most appropriate." Kirsten still couldn't believe that Sandy had chosen this as his new office. Secretly thought, it pleased her that he had shunned corporate life and gotten back to his roots. Not that she would ever admit that to Sandy. She just wished that he would have let her help with the decorating.

"So what do you think about Trey?" Kirsten asked as she took a bit of the wrap. "Honestly, I don't know. I've never met Trey before, I have only seen his file, which includes a lengthy and varied rap sheet." Sandy looked out at the ocean, replaying the mornings events in his mind. "Ryan didn't seem very happy to see him." Kirsten said. Sandy agreed. He had always thought that something had happened when Ryan and Marissa went to visit Trey at Thanksgiving. He thought it was suspicious that Trey would call out of the blue on a holiday and demand a visit. Especially after what Ryan had said about Atwood family holidays.

"What do you think Ryan meant about locking the house?" Kirsten asked. "Well, Trey has several arrests for breaking and entering, larceny. I don't think that Ryan fully trusts him." Kirsten sighed. "Don't you think that that is sad? Not being able to trust your own brother. I mean I know Trey has gotten into some trouble, but you don't think he would really steal from us, do you?"

"I don't know. I think we need to trust Ryan on this. Maybe he has a good reason to be cautious or maybe if he spends some time with his brother, he will learn to trust him again." Sandy threw the rest of his sandwich back in the bag. "Uhh … this is terrible. Where did you get this?" Sandy asked while stuffing his mouth full of potato chips to try and get rid of the nasty taste of the sandwich. "I'm sorry honey, I was so preoccupied this morning that I forgot to order lunch. My assistant picked these up at the last minute from a little deli I have never heard of and will never go to again. So what do we do?" Kirsten asked. "I don't know," Sandy said with a sign. "I think we should be careful. I don't think letting him stay with us in necessarily the best thing"

"Sandy, it's his brother. How can we not offer to help him?" Kirsten asked. "I mean maybe if he had the same advantages Ryan did, he could turn his life around." Sandy nodded, but he didn't share the same hope his wife did. All the years in the PD's office had given Sandy a sixth sense with regards to the rehabilitation prospects of repeat offenders and he didn't think that Trey wanted to change. "You're right. I think we should leave it up to Ryan. If he wants, we will do whatever we can to help Trey." Sandy said.

"Hey man, are you sure you don't want me to go home with you?" Seth asked as they walked down the hallway after their last class. "You just don't want to go shopping with Summer, admit it." Seth feigned innocence. "No. I just want to be there for you and if I have to miss a shoe shopping trip then so be it." Ryan laughed. "I'll be fine. Besides, Summer will need someone to carry all those shoe boxes for her." Seth groaned, "Uhh shoe shopping and manual labor. Great." Summer walked up and grabbed Seth's arm. "I gotta go, but seriously Ryan, you can call me if you need me."

Ryan walked slowly to the car and got in. He had been dreading this moment all day. He had no idea what he was going to say to Trey. As he started to drive off, his phone rang. It was Kirsten. "Hi Ryan, I just wanted to talk to you before you got home. Could you swing by the office?" Ryan could tell from Kirsten voice that she was worried. "Yea, I am just leaving the school now. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Ryan walked into the large building that housed the main offices of the Newport Group. No matter how many times he came here, he always felt out of place among all the men in power suits and expensive furnishings. "Go on in, she is expecting you," Kirsten's assistant said in a pleasant voice. "Hi Ryan, how was your day?" Ryan shrugged. "It was ok, I think I aced my physics test." Kirsten smiled. "That's great! Why don't we sit down," Kirsten suggested pointing to the couches in the corner of her office. "So … I wanted to talk to you about Trey."

"Sandy and I have discussed it and we want you to know that we will support whatever you want to do." Ryan looked up in surprise," What do you mean what I want to do?" He hadn't expected Sandy and Kirsten to defer all the decisions to him. "Well, we are prepared to let Trey stay with us and help him get a job, if that is what you want. I know that he is your brother and you know him better than we do, so that is why we decided to let you decide what our involvement should be." Kirsten stopped talking and looked at Ryan. Even now, after Ryan had been with them for over a year, she still had trouble reading him. She could tell, however, that right now Ryan was conflicted.

"So this is what Sandy wanted to do?" Ryan asked still trying to process the information. Kirsten hesitated and said, "Truthfully, Sandy had some reservations about Trey, but we both agreed that we will help him if that is what you want." Was it what he wanted? All day Ryan had been struggling with how he felt about his brother. He had hoped that Sandy and Kirsten would just say that there was no way that Trey could stay, so that he wouldn't have to make the decision. Ryan stood up. "Ok, thanks. I need to go check on Trey and I'll think about what you said." Kirsten stopped Ryan before he walked out of her office. "Ryan," Kirsten paused to clear her throat. "If Trey stays he will have to follow the house rules, which means no drinking and no drugs."

"Right," Ryan said, "I already talked to him about that. I'll see you at home." As Ryan walked out of the building he felt as if a 50lb weight had been dropped on his shoulders. He knew that if Trey stayed bad things would probably happen. However, Ryan didn't know if he could kick out his own brother and leave him homeless. Well, so much for my boring life, Ryan thought as he got in the car and drove towards home.

xxxxx

Hmm, there are all sorts of things that Trey could do. Since the "Brother's Grim" episode is on next week, I had better write quicker. Thanks for the reviews. Some more would be awesome!


	3. Whiskey and smoke

Ok guys, super long chappy so enjoy. (Hehe I love writing and saying chappy, it makes me feel British. "Finished another chappy, eh? How about some tea and crumpets." Anyway)

Um, I should admit that I am slightly spoiled, or foiled, as to upcoming episodes featuring Trey, but you can read with ahead without fear of spoilers. Cause if you aren't spoiled you won't know what parts came from spoilers!

xxxxxx

As Ryan drove towards home, he changed his mind every few minutes. One minute he would decide that Trey could stay, only to change his mind several minutes later. Shit! Ryan swore as he punched the steering wheel of the Rover. He was home and he still didn't know what to do. Ryan headed toward the pool house, walking as slowly as he could. He didn't get that far.

"Hey bro," Trey called from the lounge chair he was sitting in. Ryan walked toward Trey and sat down on a chair next to him. "I thought I would work on my tan a bit," Trey said flexing his biceps. "Don't get too much sun on you're first day, otherwise it will wreck your whole tan and you'll have to start over," Ryan advised. "Wow, you really have learned a lot of important stuff here." Trey said. "Yea, wait till I teach you about the finer points of wine selection or the latest in plastic surgery." Ryan and Trey both laughed.

Trey leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. "We only got to go outside for two hours each day. I really missed it, you know, just being able to walk outside and feel the sun on your back. Most day's I would lay in bed dreaming about all the places I would go when I got out. Nowhere fancy or exotic, just places I could sit and look at the ocean, or the mountains." For a moment, Ryan looked at his brother. He didn't see the person with whom he had gotten arrested with so many months ago. Trey was changed. Ryan figured that maybe spending time in jail had changed him. The question was, how had it changed him?

"Well, I guess I better quit laying around the pool here like I am rich. It is cool if I use the phone before I go? I gotta find someplace to stay tonight." Trey didn't wait for an answer. He got up and walked back toward the pool house. Ryan lingered behind for a moment and then followed him in. Trey was on the phone. "No, that ok. I understand … I don't want to cause any trouble. I'll talk to you later man." Trey hung up the phone and turned to look at Ryan. "That was Arturo. Gattas has got the heat on and he doesn't think I should go down there if I don't want to deal with it." Trey pulled his shirt back on over his head and grabbed his jacket.

"Wait," Ryan said. "What do you have to do to make things right with Gattas? I thought that taking him that car settled things." Trey looked at his brother. "Yea, well I hear that's not all that went down." Ryan's head snapped up. He didn't think Trey knew about what had happened. "Arturo says he wants two thousand bucks or I'll get fuckin stomped. You know how it is, he thinks I made him look bad." Ryan shook his head, "I guess that's what you get when you deal with guys like that." Trey rolled his eyes, "Sure, so next time I need to get rid of a hot car I'll try to make sure the guy who runs the chop shop is an upstanding citizen." Trey took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, he didn't want to be an asshole to the one person who was trying to help him.

"I'm sorry that I sent you there. I never would have asked to you go it I had know what he was going to try and do. You've got to believe me." Ryan sighed. He had been through this with Trey before. Ryan had been pretty good at getting into trouble all by himself in Chino, but most of the time he got in trouble was when he was helping his brother out. "Right man, you send me to deliver a stolen car to some crazy guy at a chop shop who decides to take the interest out on me and I'm supposed to believe that you care about me?" Trey got up to leave. "I'm sorry. I had no choice. They would have killed me and you were the only one who would help." Trey gestured around the room with his hand. "You've got a good thing here. I would say good luck, but it seems like you've already got it."

Ryan watched as Trey walked down the driveway towards the street. "Trey, wait!" Ryan cried as he ran down the driveway towards his brother. Ryan grabbed Trey when he caught up with him and swung him around. "Where are you gonna go? You said you didn't have anywhere to stay." Ryan said breathing heavily. Trey just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. "Why don't you stay here for a few days at least until we can find somewhere for you to go." As much as Ryan wanted to let Trey walk down the street and out of his life, he knew he couldn't. He was going to give his brother one final chance.

Ryan could see the relief in Trey's face, but he knew that Trey would have walked away to a life on the streets if Ryan had left him. The Atwood men were known for their pride, even though it usually brought about their demise. "Thanks bro," Trey said as he gave Ryan a quick hug. "Just a few days till I figure out what the hell I am going to do. I can be good for a couple days." Ryan prayed that he could.

"You don't mind crashing on the couch out here do you?" Ryan asked as he pulled an extra set of sheets out of the closet. "No way, a couch in a pool house is way better than the floor of some crack house." Ryan couldn't argue with that. Kirsten had told him that Trey was welcome to stay in the house, but Ryan felt better having Trey somewhere he could keep an eye on him. "Sorry you didn't really get to meet the Cohen's tonight. Sandy and Kirsten work some pretty long hours, but I know they wanted to meet you."

Ryan was glad that both Kirsten and Sandy hadn't been home tonight. Ryan was worried about mixing his new life with his old life. Last time he had done that hadn't exactly been a success. Ryan thought about his mother's drunken appearance at the fundraiser and her departure the next morning. "What are you going to do tomorrow?" Ryan asked as he crawled into bed. "I don't know. I'll probably just walk around, maybe spend some time at the beach." Ryan was more relieved than usual that tomorrow was Friday.

"Good morning Ryan, Trey," Kirsten said as they walked into the kitchen. "How did you sleep?" Kirsten asked Trey. "Great. It's a lot better than a prison bed." Trey said dryly. Everyone shared an uneasy laugh. "You guys have an amazing place. It must be great to get up every morning and see that," Trey gestured to large windows that overlooked the ocean. "It is. Especially when I get to surf those waves. You're not a surfer are you?" Sandy asked. Trey shook his head. "Oh well, maybe one day Seth and I can take you and Ryan surfing." Seth snorted, sending milk shooting across the table. "Seth!" Kirsten said sharply as she jumped up to grab a dishtowel.

"Sorry mom, it's just the thought of Ryan wearing a wetsuit." Ryan looked indignantly at Seth and said, "I'd probably look better in a wetsuit than you're scrawny ass does." Trey watched as Ryan and the Cohen's bantered on about Ryan surfing and their plans for the weekend. It seemed weird to Trey to see his brother so completely as ease with another family. For a moment Trey thought that maybe he could have it too. Maybe he could buy into the system in the same was Ryan had. Then they could all wake up in high thread count sheets, look out at the ocean, eat breakfast while teasing each other good naturedly, and drive to work or school in a fleet of black Beamers and Range Rovers.

It must have taken Ryan sometime to get used to this, Trey thought. Breakfast at their house growing up was an entirely different affair. Usually breakfast entailed Trey and Ryan finding whatever food they could in the house and leaving as quickly as they could before they woke someone up. Trey could actually only remember a few "family breakfasts" like this one. He did remember, however, one time when he and Ryan had tried to make breakfast for their mom on mother's day. They had planned on making pancakes, eggs, and bacon. They had been so excited to show their mom what they had done, but when they went to wake her up, she threw a beer bottle at them and told them to get out the room. By the time she had conquered her hangover enough to climb out of bed, it was noon and breakfast was ruined. There was also the time that Ryan had knocked over his glass of milk, spilling it on Bill, the jerk his mother was dating at the time. That morning had ended in the emergency room. Ryan had a sprained wrist and his mother had a broken collarbone.

"Would you like something else for breakfast?" Kirsten asked after noticing that Trey hadn't touched his bagel. "No, this is fine. I think I'll just take this and eat outside." At the surprised look on everyone's faces Trey added, "I've spent enough time indoors lately," and headed out the door. Seth looked at Ryan, "I didn't chase him away, did I? I tried not to talk, but it's hard with so much going on that I must provide humorous and insightful commentary for …." Seth was interrupted by Ryan. "No, you didn't chase him away. It's a lot to adjust to, being out of jail and being here." Sandy walked up behind Ryan and put his arm on Ryan's shoulder. "You're right kid. Just give Trey sometime to adjust and figure out what he wants to do with his life." Kirsten brought her eyes up to meet Sandy's and they shared a silent communication. Kirsten had seen the look on Trey's face before he fled the house. She knew that look; she had seen it on Ryan's face when he had first come to stay with them.

Ryan picked up his backpack, grabbed his half-eaten bagel and said, "I think I'll go sit with him." He turned to Seth, "So can I get a ride with you and Summer today?" Seth nodded. "Thanks," Ryan said as he turned to walk outside. "Hey," Ryan said as he sat down next to Trey, who was in his favorite poolside chair. They sat in silence for a while, chewing their bagels. Finally Trey broke the silence saying, "They seem like a nice family."

"They are," Ryan said. "They are worried about you." Trey smiled quietly to himself. It had been a long time since somebody had worried about him. "It's just a little strange … you know, to wake up one morning in a mansion surrounded by a normal, functional family," Trey hesitated, " that my brother is a part of. It's a long way from how it used to be, you know, like the time we tried to make breakfast for mom or the time you spilled your milk and Bill kicked everybody's ass."

"It's not perfect here." Ryan added quietly, "But it's a lot better than Chino. Here you have a chance." Ryan stood up and said, "I better go. Summer hates to wait for us. It causes rage blackouts or something." Trey looked at Ryan with raised eyebrows, but he didn't ask. As if on queue, they heard a car pull up out front. "Come on, you might as well meet Summer, it's early so I don't think any rage blackouts will be involved this morning." As they walked towards the front of the house, Trey asked, "So Summer is Seth's girlfriend?"

"Yea, they've kinda done this on again, off again thing all year. Now they are on again, obviously …" Ryan said as they turned the corner and saw Seth and Summer kissing in the front seat. "So where's your girl?" Trey asked. Ryan grimaced. "Don't ask." Ryan cleared his throat to get the couple's attention. "Hey Summer, this is my brother Trey." Trey nodded, "It's nice to meet you." Summer smiled her most dazzling smile and said, "Yea, you too. Maybe we can all hang out some time." Ryan hopped in the back of the car and said, "See you after school man. There's always PS2 if you get bored with the beach. I'd recommend Grand Theft Auto San Andreas." Trey stood in the driveway and watched them drive away in Summer's new convertible. He laughed to himself as he thought about what hanging out with a bunch of rich and spoiled kids would be like.

Ryan walked up to their lunch table and was relieved to see that Marissa was already there. "So you're brother seems nice. He seems pretty hot actually," Summer said. Seth pretended to pout. "It's ok baby, you're hot to, just in a different way." Summer said reassuringly. "What kind of way is that?" Seth asked. Summer paused to consider and said, "Well, Trey's hot in an 'I just spent a year pumping iron and I have tattoo's and need to shave' kinda way and you are more … um sweet and less dangerous." Seth looked at Summer, "So what you are saying is that I am a little more Jason Biggs than Eminem?"

"So you decided to let Trey stay?" Marissa asked turning her attention away from Seth and Summer. "Yea, well it's hard to kick your brother out. It's just for a few days, until he can figure out somewhere to go." Ryan said. "He might surprise you, you know. I mean when you first came here … you had kind of a rough time, but you had people who wanted to help, and look at you now." Marissa slipped her hand into Ryan's. Ryan looked at Marissa. "So you think I should trust him?" He asked. "I don't know. I just know that if everyone thinks that he is going to fuck up, he probably will." Ryan's mind would go back to that comment all afternoon and he pondered the situation.

"That's it!" Kirsten said throwing the pile of papers down on her desk. "I am leaving now." Kirsten declared. "But Kiki, we still have …" Julie was cut off by Kirsten. "Julie, I have had enough. We can finish the layout next week." Kirsten had a headache that nothing could cure and she suspected a glass of wine by the pool might be the right medicine. She drove home quickly, so intent on her problems with Julie that she had forgotten about Trey. It wasn't until Kirsten pulled up in front of the house that she remembered Trey was around somewhere. She wondered if she should go out the pool house and see if he needed anything.

Kirsten decided to leave Trey alone in case he was sleeping or something. Even though he was Ryan's brother, Kirsten felt uneasy around Trey. He had the same deep and intense eyes that Ryan had, but unlike Ryan, Kirsten wasn't sure if there was anything soft behind them. Kirsten changed into a polo top and shorts, poured herself a glass of wine and went to sit outside.

Getting away from the office and relaxing in the sun with a glass of wine did indeed get rid of her headache. In fact, Kirsten was so relaxed she was almost asleep on the lounge chair when she head someone come up behind her. "Hi," Trey said, causing Kirsten to jump and spill her wine. Trey took a few steps back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Kirsten looked at the red stain on her shirt in dismay. "That's alright, I'm usually not so jumpy. Actually, I was almost asleep." Kirsten said feeling slightly embarrassed. "Tough day at work?" Trey asked. Kirsten motioned for Trey to sit and said, "You have no idea." Kirsten reproached herself. Of course Trey has had worse days than today and he probably wouldn't know what it is like to be the CFO of a multi-million dollar corporation.

"Ryan said you guys build houses." Trey said. He could tell that Kirsten was uncomfortable around him and he didn't blame her. Based on what Ryan had told him, Trey guessed that Kirsten had lead a pretty sheltered life. He moved closer to her and Kirsten moved away. Trey almost laughed. Here was a rich, beautiful woman who ran her own company, and yet she was afraid of him. "We develop residential as well as commercial properties. We built the new mall last year." Trey nodded, "That's cool. Ryan said that you could probably get me a job in construction."

"Is that what you want to do?" Kirsten asked. Trey laughed. "What I want to do? I don't get much of a choice." Kirsten looked at Trey. "You always have a choice." Trey looked at Kirsten, his gaze so intense that she eventually dropped her head to avoid him. "You might always have a choice," Trey said waving his hand at the surroundings, "but I don't. I am almost 20, I dropped out of high school when I was 16, I've never had a real job, and I've spent the last two years in jail. What I want to do is to find a job, make some money so that I can take care of myself without having to … do anything illegal." Kirsten took a sip of her wine. She wished Sandy were here; this was so his area of expertise, not hers.

"You're right Trey, you don't have the same choices, but you still have choices. We will do what we can to help you." Kirsten said. Trey shook his head indicating that he still disagreed with Kirsten. "I wanted to thank you for taking Ryan in. He looks like he is doing real well here." Trey noticed that Kirsten smiled when he mentioned Ryan. "It was a bit rough at first, but Ryan has settled in nicely." Trey played with the zipper on his jacket and looked out across the pool. "I always tried to take care of Ryan. It was pretty bad sometimes. I tried to protect him, but it usually wasn't enough. I felt bad when I went to jail and left him alone, but it turned out ok." Kirsten realized again how little she knew about Ryan's past.

"See you guys later." Ryan said as he jumped out of Summer's car. "Have fun with Marissa tonight." Seth said and Ryan flipped him off. Seth's mission in life lately had been to get Ryan and Marissa back together. Ryan had thought that getting back together with Marissa had been a bad idea, but since his brother had show up he felt different. Ryan had told Marissa more about his old life than he had told the Cohens. He felt like he could be himself around her which was why he had agreed when she had asked if he wanted to hang out tonight. Of course, Trey was invited so it wasn't like a real date or anything.

Ryan walked towards the pool house. When he turned the corner he saw Trey and Kirsten sitting by the pool. They hadn't seen him and Ryan stopped to watch them. Ryan could feel his muscles tighten. For some reason, seeing Trey sitting so close to Kirsten bothered him. "Ryan!" Trey jumped up when he saw his brother standing at the edge of the house. "Hi honey," Kirsten said as she stood up. Ryan noticed the red stain on her shirt and the wine glass in her hand. "Long day with Julie." Kirsten said as she headed towards the house, leaving the two brothers alone with each other.

"School's out already huh?" Trey asked. "Yea, it's like 4:30. We had to wait for Summer after school or I would have been home sooner." Ryan started to walk towards the pool house and Trey followed behind. "So what's the plan for tonight? What do you guys do for fun, besides society shit." Ryan dropped his bag on the floor, glad to be rid of the weight of the large textbooks inside. "Not much, Marissa asked if we wanted to hang out with her."

"Marissa huh, is she the chick you had with you at Thanksgiving, the one that looks like a model?" Trey asked. Ryan nodded. "Does she have any friends? As much fun as it would be to hang out with you and your girlfriend, it would be even more fun if there was a girl for me." Trey turned and smiled at Ryan, but Ryan didn't smile back. "She's not my girlfriend anymore, we're just friends." Ryan said, his tone wary. "So are we going to a party or what? We could teach these rich kids a few things about partying." Ryan glared at Trey. "Right, no fun I forgot." Trey sat down on his bed and eyed Ryan devilishly. "I could probably have some fun with Kirsten."

Ryan's head snapped up at the mention of Kirsten. "She's pretty hot, but I'm sure you've noticed that." Ryan turned his back on his brother. He didn't want to hit him, but if he kept talking…. "I've never been into the whole older woman thing, MILF's and shit, but I think she could change my mind." Ryan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Shut up Trey." Ryan said through clenched teeth. "She's afraid of me. Can you believe it? A rich, important lady like that. She should be afraid, she just doesn't know why." Ryan had heard enough. He grabbed Trey and threw him up against the wall. "Don't you ever fucking talk about Kirsten like that." Trey pushed Ryan off of him. "If you hurt her or any of the Cohen's you are going to wish you were back in jail."

"Fuck man, I was just kidding." Trey said taken back by Ryan's actions. Ryan didn't say anything so Trey kept talking. "I was just messing with you. You're like a fucking robot now, I just wanted to see if you are still alive in there." He said. "It's not funny." Ryan said, still fighting the urge to punch his brother. He knew that if he didn't leave he probably would hit him, so Ryan grabbed his coat and said, "I'm going for a walk." Trey could tell that he had really pissed Ryan off. He hadn't meant what he said, not really. Kirsten was hot, but he was just trying to mess with his brother. Trey wasn't stupid enough to bite the hand that was going to help him. Shit, Trey thought as he leaned back on the couch and waited for Ryan to cool off and come back.

Trey fell asleep and woke up when it was just getting dark. He looked around the room and saw that Ryan still wasn't back. Trey had had enough of waiting around, so he pulled out the supplies that he had amassed during the day. Trey had spent the entire day walking around Newport. Before he went to jail, he would have hated the thought of walking everywhere, but today he was content just to enjoy his freedom, and pick up a few needed supplies. Trey had cigarettes, a fifth of Jack Daniels, a quarter of dirt weed, and some rolling papers. All he needed for a good night. He didn't need the hard stuff, as long as he could drink and smoke.

Trey took a few quick plugs off of the whiskey and started to roll a joint. His rolling skills were a little rusty, so it took him a couple tries to get it right. He was hot and since he didn't know how to work the air conditioner, he took his shirt off. Trey had just lit the joint when the pool house door opened. Trey rushed to hide the joint, but since it was already lit, there wasn't much he could with it.

"Ryan", Marissa called as she entered the pool house. Instead of Ryan, she saw a shirtless Trey trying to hide something behind his back, but the smoke was giving him away. "Um … it's still smoking." Marissa said to Trey. "You scared the shit out of me, I thought you were the Cohens or something." Trey said, his heart still racing. "Ryan isn't here is he?" Marissa asked. "How do you know?" Trey wondered. "Well, I'm pretty sure he would be pissed at you for smoking weed in his room." Trey shook his head, "You're telling me the kid doesn't even smoke anymore?" Marissa shook her head no.

"I don't know when he will be back, but you can wait. Help yourself," Trey said pointing to the table of staples. Marissa looked longingly at the whiskey, but she knew that Ryan would be angry if he came back and she had been drinking. "I think I screwed things up with Ryan," Trey said while holding a hit in. Marissa crossed the room and sat across from Trey. "How?" She asked. Trey held out the joint and Marissa subconsciously took it and inhaled. She coughed, "Oh my God, that's harsh." Trey laughed, "Yea, well you guys can probably afford better shit." Trey took a drink of whiskey. "I was messing with Ryan, but I said some stuff about Kirsten and he lost it. Sorry, you're plans for tonight are probably screwed up."

"That's ok. Ryan can be pretty sensitive about stuff and he likes to protect the people around him. Can I stay here for a bit? I don't really have anything else to do." Trey shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, but this isn't really your scene, is it?" Trey asked and Marissa could tell that he was testing her. She looked at Trey with his super ripped chest and his tattoo's and decided that Summer had been right. Trey was hot. Marissa reached over and grabbed the bottle of whiskey. She took a long drink, then looked at Trey.

xxxxxx

Well it took me almost all day to write this, I wish I could write faster, I wanted to be further along when the Trey episodes started. Oh well. Please leave some reviews and let me know if you are interested in the rest of the story (and what should happen or not happen between Trey and Marissa!)


	4. Pool house interlude

Ok, so I know it has been a loooong time since my last update and I'm sorry. There are excuses, of course, some better than others, but thanks for the reviews urging me to update. This isn't a complete chapter and usually I won't post unless it's a complete chapter, but I want you guys to know that both my story and I are still alive. My next update will be coming soon, I promise.

xxxxx

Trey let out a low whistle, obviously impressed with Marissa's drinking ability. "I guess this is your scene," Trey said quietly. Marissa took another hit from the joint and passed it back to Trey, who put it out in an empty can.

"Vodka is really more my thing." Marissa said, already feeling the warmth from the alcohol spreading through her body.

She hadn't had a drink for days and her tolerance had already dropped. In the back of her mind she could hear a little voice telling her that she shouldn't be here, not like this. Marissa had been trying to cut down on her drinking lately. Things had gotten out of control and Marissa knew that if she had any hopes of getting back together with Ryan, she needed to cut down on her drinking. It wasn't easy though. After every fight with her mother or run in with Caleb, drinking was the only way she could relax and forget her numerous problems.

"You look deep in thought." Trey said, interrupting Marissa.

"Oh yea, well." Marissa stuttered. She suddenly felt uncomfortable being here with Trey. She knew that if Ryan walked in it would probably be over between them before it even got started again. "Um, we should probably open the windows or something, it's pretty much hot boxed in here."

Trey stood up and walked toward the windows. "You really think Ryan will mind?" He asked skeptically.

Marissa turned to him and said, "Yea!" She was just about to add 'you really don't know Ryan do you?' when she realized what she was saying. Of course he didn't know Ryan. So much had changed for both of them in the last couple years.

"Shit," Trey said while running a hand though his hair. "He's gonna kick me out for sure," Trey said as he paced around the room. "Why do I always do this? Why do I always screw everything up? I mean first the shit with Kirsten and now this." Trey picked up a book laying on the table and threw is across the room.

Marissa took a step back from Trey. "I think it will be ok," she said trying to calm and reassure him. "We just need to get the smell out of here." Marissa could tell that Trey was really upset and he was starting to scare her.

"Do you have a cigarette or something?" Marissa asked. Trey responded by crossing the room and pulling a pack out of his jacket. Trey lit the cigarette and sat down on the couch.

"Ryan was always the good kid," he said thoughtfully as he exhaled a puff of smoke. "Probably not by Newport standards or anything, but he was always the only one in our family who had a chance at a normal, non-incarcerated life." Trey looked up and saw that Marissa was still standing across the room with her arm crossed protectively in front of her.

Trey let out a deep sigh and said, "I'm sorry. I know I get a little intense sometimes. I finally have a chance and I don't want to screw it up, but the harder I try …." Trey ran his fingers through his hair and took another drag of his cigarette. Marissa still hadn't moved from her position across the room. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you or anything."

"Oh yeah, I know," Marissa said, trying to sound cool. "Intensity must run in the family. Ryan gets the same way sometimes." She looked longingly at the door. She wanted to like Trey and to help him for Ryan's sake, but he was making it hard. Marissa figured that she should just leave now. Her being here when Ryan got back was only going to make things worse.

"Yea, why don't you go ahead and split." Trey said, as he noticed Marissa looking at the door. "I'll deal with Ryan." Marissa looked relieved in spite of herself. She gathered her stuff to leave and headed for the door.

"Thanks," Trey said, "if I don't see you again … well, be good to my little bro. He really cares about you."

Ryan walked slowly back from the beach. That was another perk of life in Newport. Beautiful beaches were never far away. Ryan liked the ocean. He didn't really have a desire to surf or swim in it; he just like to sit on the beach, look out across the endless expanse of water and listen to the waves. It always had a calming affect on him, especially at night, and calming was what he needed tonight.

Ryan didn't know what to do. He wished that Trey had never appeared on their doorstep. He knew he was being selfish, but he liked his life. After all the years of poverty, instability, and abuse, he finally had a chance at a good life. While guilt and obligation might force Ryan to allow Trey back into his life, whatever the consequences, Ryan absolutely drew the line when it came to the Cohens.

Ryan didn't think that Trey was capable of doing anything really bad. Sure he might steal some stuff and do all sorts of drugs, but Ryan didn't think he would do anything major or violent. If Trey was going to slip, it would be back into petty crimes, not on to more serious offenses. But when he saw Trey with Kirsten, Ryan felt something. It was just a flash, a quick crawl of the skin, or as Seth would say, his spider senses were tingling. It was just enough to increase the doubt in Ryan's mind.

Ryan had to choose between his old family and his new family. His loyalties to his brother had caused him to drop his guard. After all, Ryan probably wouldn't have survived as a kid without Trey looking out for him, but they weren't kids anymore and this wasn't Chino. Ryan was going to ask his brother to leave.

Ryan turned the corner and the house came into sight. He could see light streaming out of the large windows. He could also see Marissa walk out of the pool house, jump quickly into her car, and drive away.


End file.
